The Quigleys in a Spin

April 1, 2006
Gr 2-4 -Each member of the Quigley family is highlighted in one of four short chapters, with a fifth story about a neighbor's cat. -Dad's Big Toe - chronicles a nail polish fiasco; -Lucy's Big Day - shows how even the worst birthday party can be memorable. In -Will's Big Effort, - Mum invites a sick friend's unpleasant son to spend the weekend. Finally, the family goes to a fair where the fast and wild rides are no fun for her. Young readers may have trouble getting past the heavy British vocabulary; not many kids opt to play -pass the parcel, - make moustaches from a goat-skin purse, have ever eaten a chessboard sandwich, or would vote for rock-pooling. The chapter on Lucy's birthday party is totally unbelievable and goes on for too long. A marginal purchase.-" -Cheryl Ashton, Amherst Public Library, OH"

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2006
Gr. 3-5. Sometimes compared with Beverly Cleary's Quimby family novels, the episodic adventures of the Quigleys continue in the fourth book of this British series. From the lead-off tale in which Lucy paints her sleeping father's toenails "purple and sparkly" to the last story, in which the neighbors' cat outsmarts the Quigleys, the book offers a wry, comical look at the human condition. Stephens' lively line drawings amplify the fun. A treat for independent readers new to full-length chapter books, this amusing book is also a fine choice for reading aloud.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)